Mon your day plan sounds alot like what we are doing at the moment. Chelsea is usually up for 2 hours and down for 2 hours though. Its a pain though because you just get the hang of it, and have to go change it all again once you start solids

Summa - enjoy your time away How lovely of your hubby to do that for you

Amy - Enjoy your weekend And re the day activites... We arent really doing that much Chelsea loves being in her swing or on the playmat most of the time. Other times we just walk around the house together (while Im doing things) and I show her things as we are going. I also take her outside with me while hanging out the washing. When folding the clothes she comes and sits up in our bed (leaning on pillows). Chelsea loves watching Breanna atm so while she is in the swing Breanna usually jumps around and plays with her Chelsea thinks its great fun. I have to say Breanna is great at amusing Chels when we are busy doing something Of course you can never leave them alone in the room, we are always close by. Breanna does get abit pushy at times.

Alana - how is Ry going?? Have you been working?

Toffee- sounds like the chiro could be working!!! Thats great news.

Emma - What a great place for the Naming Day

We tried some apply with Chelsea today and she loved it looks like apply and farex for breakfast from now on

Yeah, Nina used to be the same, up for two, down for two
On hold to tressilian now, just to see if there is anything else I can do.
She has a 40 min, 30min and she is down again now and has been for 20 mins.
I just hate it because the time she is awake, she is grumpy, she needs more sleep

Thanks Bee - he seems to be making a heaps big improvement over the last 24 hours! He didnt cough at all last night!! Back to the docs on thursday to make sure the ear is better. I feel so bad i didnt even know, he never did anything to make me think he was in pain though it was just covered in yellow stuff.
I did work my 3 days last week - Mum had him on the weds like normal and than thurs and fri OH stayed hom during the day and went to work in the evening when i finished! Working for his family his pay wasnt affected by doing this - i on the other hand would have lost all my pay - with getting a new car and then ry getting croup the next day and spending $100 on mendication there wasnt anything i could do about it!




What did they say? Do you think you could try CC again?

It seems that me starting the night time top up before bed and the day sleeps going to shit were around the same time, a month or so ago. The lady at Tresillian said that perhaps because I was feeding her right before bed at night, Nina was associating a feed with a sleep and because day times were feed, play sleep she might be confused.

She has said to implement the 7pm bedtime and don't let her sleep in the avo any longer than 5pm - if she is due for a feed at 5 do that, if not feed no later than about 6.15ish (depending on how long the feed is, it's just important that it isn't feed then straight to bed).

I am happy with the above although I am thinking 6/8 might work better for us. I just don't know how comfortable I am with her last feed sometimes being as early as 5pm. She said I also have to be prepared that she will wake at some time for a feed after midnight and that at 5 months it is unrealistic to expect her to go til 5am. I guess I just have to be prepared for that so my couple
of wines a few times a week might have to go til we have this sorted (though I could have a bottle ready for the middle of the night I guess, just use what I was using for the top-up instead and freeze it if we don't need it)

As for the crying, she said to comfort her as I have been doing through the day until she stops crying, once she has stopped, leave the room. If she starts up again, leave it a a minute or so and see if she re-settles, if not go in and comfort again so I guess I will just keep doing that.

I described how Nina has been today in terms of tired and cranky and she said it sounds like cat-naps are not enough for her, she needs more sleep and wants more but just isn't sure how to do it.

Alana I have thought about the CC butit just seemsnow that she gets S worked up if I let her go anymore than a few minutes and still impossible to get her back to sleep.

hope it works out with their advice mon.

mon - wish there was something we could do to help..

Alana - a new car?? what did you get??

Long story Emma. When we were trying to buy our house OH had 2 cars. A VY SS Commodore and a VE SS Vseries Commodore both lovely but around $90 grand debt. So when we went to get a 100% homeloan of $365000 when i was 19 and OH 21 they said not with the car debt. The VY commodore OH had worked on it - lowered, tinted windows, sound system, noisey exhust etc so he let his Brother take over the loan on that but sold the VE private sale and got a couple grand back on it ( it was 3 months old boys and their toys) Not last week but the week before our car shat itself again for the second time in one year ( it was a bomb my parents bought so we had a car when we bought the house) So when we thought the car shat itself at the worst time was actaully a blessing as BIL couldnt afford it anymore because he lost his job so we have taken it back again. I was so excited to get it back - i love it!!!! It is different driving this noisey beast around with a car seat from the last time we had it hehehe

I have had to go in 3 times since she went down about 7.10.

sorry mon what do you need to go in for does she want dummy? feed?

Make that 5 times now.
Each time I have only had to stroke her head for a minute and put the dummy in but I am thinking it's been over 4 hours since she fed, perhaps if she wakes again (she is stirring now) I will feed her. Maybe just keep her wrapped and feed her in the dark (no nappy change)

I do all my night feeds like that, and most times I leave her in the cot too and I only change bum if its poo..
Hope she settled down for you

She woke at 1.30ish. I didn't hear her, DH actually came in to put the dummy in (he was on the computer).I woke then and he passed her to me and I fed her in bed, still wrapped and didn't turn the light on. I only gave her one boob as she was starting to drift off. I burped her gently and put her straight back in and she went back to sleep no dramas!

She woke about 6.10 so I fed again and she was back in bed by 6.45, talked for about 10 minutes and has been asleep since,just coming up to the end of the sleep cycle so we'll see how that goes.

I don't want to confuse her but I am going to make bed time 8pm - it just works better for us especially if we have a day out and she is tired when we get home in the avo, she can have a sleep no later than 6pm (5 is just too early). I will feed her no later than 7.15pm.

We don't go out of an evening much but what do you guys do with their routine when you do? I am just worried about totally stuffing her up though I guess now at nearly 5 months, she is a bit more flexible.

I am also going to have to adjust the feeds during the day to 3/3.5 hours as 4 feeds just isn't enough - especially given her slow weight gain (the lady told me this yesterday). Far out this is hard. I am trying to write them down for the day and I just can't make it work (we have counselling and a solids talk this avo).

Monica - when we go out at night, we do things as normal. We usually go out at around 6ish-6.30ish (unless we go to parents or PIL's) so she wakes at 5pm, has her solids dinner, then bath, and we try to hold her off for her bottle as long as possible until we get home. If she gets whingey, we'll give her bottle to her, and then top her u when we get home before bed not the best scenario, but it works on the odd occasion we go out

And does she sleep when you are out?

not usually, but she is the biggest dorry out She may have little naps in the pram or bouncer for about 10-20mins at a time, but we're pretty lucky in that she doesn't get to upset... She just loves watching what is happening

Dont feel bad hun we arent mind readers and because they cant say anything it is very hard to know what is going on with them. I wouldnt have known either.
Yay for getting your old car back too

Mon - Hopefully the solids class helps you out today. I would love to go to one.Its so funny how you can forget everything so easily after the first I remember some things but not much They are all so different too so you sort of have to let them lead the way IYKWIM. At the moment when we take Chelsea out we just put her down where ever we are and give her the normal sleep and just be home before her last bottle at nine. Once she drops that feed I guess we will just hope she is good and top her up when we get home before she goes off to bed for the night.

Well Im off to the bank today and posting off the forms for my life changing career

so happy for you Bee!!

im meeting my BF mum at spotlight today to buy the material for Sophies dress going to somehow incorporate the train from my wedding dress aswell, make it very special

Thats a good idea to use your train Emma, at least you don't cut the actual dress up.

Bee I think I missed something, what life changing career?

I took Lil to the Dr today and she has a throat infection and conjunctivitis. Poor girl. She is on penicillin and eye drops for a few weeks. She is asleep in my bed at the moment, she never sleeps there during the day so she must be sick. She was coughing a lot last night and had loads of gunk in her eyes this morning.

poor girl. I hope she gets better quickly. Its horrible when they are sick. And I have posted the news on our FB account as there are certain people that read this forum to stalk me.

Summa, Noosa sounds great! I hope you enjoy your pampering. Poor little Lil, I hope she gets better very soon.

Alana, sounds like everything worked out well with the car thing. Good to hear Ry is on the mend.

Emma, Sophie’s dress sounds like it’s going to be very nice!

Been a bit quiet here... haven’t had much time to post. I started Alan on Farex for breakfast this week. This morning he was really into it and had a whole tablespoon mixed with some formula. I went to the shops this afternoon and bought 4 apples and 4 pears and have pureed them and put them in ice cubes. I also bought some baby yoghurts to start next week.

We are heading to Rocky on Friday so I don’t want to introduce anything more than just the Farex until we get back.

Alan has become really vocal lately, he has lots of different noises and one in particular when he is upset or cranky. Bit of a shock to me because he’s been so quiet the past 5 months.

Madison is playing with him more and more now that he stays awake a little longer. She always wants to play with him. She forgets that he still can’t walk or catch things.

Hi! Sorry, it seems like i have a LOT to catch up on. It's been a frantic few days with many visitors and an exam due tommorrow.



It sounds like the Chiro is working a dream! Hopefully you'll have a brand new little boy in a few weeks! I'm also still b/feeding every 3 hours.



Cloth is going really well. I need to buy another stash and then we can move to 100% cloth- i still use sposies while we are out and about. He's okay in cloth overnight, i just use a large BBH boosted to the hilt- it's funny, when he's all set up for bed he can't roll over because his nappy is so big and heavy!



That sounds like a great range of activities



How are you going today, Monica?



Will NEVER sleeps while we are out- unless i can get a really good walk going in the pram, or drive for more than 15 minutes. I normally just give up and accept that his routine is shot when we are out and about.






That sounds like the sweetest dress! I can't wait to see it!



Oh...poor thing! Hope that she gets better soon. How are you going, Mrs Preggers?

Nyree, i love your new sig pic. Very very cute!

i bought a heap of 2nd hand cloth nappies, and have realised they are not for us.. Wondering if anyone was willing to buy them? they are medium BBH..

Yesterday was really good.
DH and I went to counselling and it was such a good experience. He was very honest and opened up a lot more than I thought he would. It all just felt really positive and we had a great day after that, things just felt a little different so fingers crossed it continues.

I had a solids talk to go to so decided to leave Nina at home with him (Mum looked after her whilst we went to counselling and she only had a 45min sleep). I put her to bed before I left for the talk and DH said she woke at about 40 minutes and cried, he went in a patted and then she slept for another cycle so well done to him, was so pleased.

We did the 8pm bedtime and she went down no fuss. I fell asleep on the lounge at 9.15! She woke at 4am so I fed her still wrapped, one boob and put her back in to bed. She talked for about 15 minutes and we just laughed and giggled (very quietly) at her but eventually she went back to sleep and woke at 6.45 so we are up and fed and nearly ready to go back down.

I bought Baby Bliss yesterday and it clearly says one cycle is not enough sleep so I am going to follow their advice and see how we go. I am also moving bedtime forward til 7pm. I just want to follow the book as close as I can and see if things improve. It says once we start on solids, she may drop the middle of the night feed but that she shouldn't be expected to go all night just yet - I guess until now we have just been lucky.

The ECHN said yesterday that we should either speak to a paed or an allergist before we start solids given Nina's allergic reaction so will get a referral from the Dr today.

Off to MG this morning.

Summa - hope Lil feels better soon, poor love
Nyree - The new sounds are amazing aren't they? Especially at 4am, LOL
Alana - Glad everything worked out with the car, you little revhead- he he he
Bee - checking FB now as I thin I missed it to.
Amy - hope the assignment goes all right, you really are a superstar, I don't know how you manage

Have PM'd you



I am so glad that counselling went well. I hope that you can both continue to go and work out the things that are getting between you- you deserve a happy marriage, and so does Nina.

Thanks for the encouragement with uni! I'm a bit down in the dumps with it at the moment, i'm really struggling with my maths-based subject and i think i might fail

The counsellor suggested I go on y own for the next 2 sessions and once I am strong enough emotionally, we should seek some marriage counselling (she doesn't offer it). I haven't spoken to DH about it. We'll just see how I go after the next two sessions and if we are getting along we might not have to go there.

A few prayers for a pass might be in order Amy.

Nina has just woken from the first cycle, fingers crossed she can get herself back to sleep or will at least allow me to help her

Emma - Congratulations on 4 years of marriage

Thanks Leesa, doesn't feel much different, but a lovely milestone nonetheless

Wow, 4 years. Congrats Emma & Scott!

Monica, is DH a reader? Maybe you could get your hands on some good books about communication & marriage, and use this as discussion points at home? DH & I both love Talk Language, and the Four Love Languages. We both devoured 'BabyProofing your marriage' before Will was born, it was great book for knowing what to expect from kids, what the pressure is like when they grow up, and what men & women think about kids.

DH doesn't normally like reading 'self help' books, but i find if i read them and harp on about the theories, and then 'accidentally leave' the book in the toilet, it will get read

WOW you girls can talk!!!!

Summa, hope bubs is feeling better. How are you feeling? Anymore scans or tests? So jealous about your mini break holiday!

Nyree, I love the photo in your sig. If Rachel comes to Melbourne again I will definately be booking her. But I am so excited as our professional photos are next month!

Toffee - so glad the chiro is working some magic and your little man is farting like a trooper!!!

Bee, off to read FB (I forget sometimes) but I can see your excitement!

Monica, sounding good about the session with your husband. I hope the one on one sessions help you (((HUGS))). As for Miss Nina, I hope the new routine works out. I've been told that change can take 3 days to register with their brain so don't worry if it takes a few days, sounds like she will get it!

Amy, if I could help you with Math I would but I was terrible at it at school. I am sure you will be fine. Can you get extra help?

Emma, the christening gown using your dress sounds like a beautiful idea

Mini update from me. Have started the "new SK" program yesterday. I have been walking for a month now and although I am feeling toner, the scales have not changed and that makes me feel so depressed so I am doing meditrim. Fingers crossed I can move some kgs before next month!!!

Emma is three next Wednesday and I am not coping with this very well. I know that sounds pathetic but I am slowly forgetting how she was as a baby because she is such a little girl now. I just love her to pieces

Tell me about it. Chelsea has come out of her shell alot more now. She grunts when she is angry

Amy - Goodluck with Uni hun! Just remember you are doing amazing no matter what anyone says. You have a 5month old baby!!!! For you to be looking after Will and studying your doing excellent.



i know how you feel ((HUGS)) I get abit funny thinking about Breanna turning 3. Imagine what we will be like when they turn 21 I can still remember my lil cheeky girl crawling around the house after me I will tell you what though.... You have raised one beautiful little girl

Mon - Sounds like the councelling is going well thats fantastic darl, Im very happy for you.

I kept Breanna home from FDC today, she has a nasty cold again and I dont want it turning into a chest infection like last time so I am keeping a close eye on her. We have had a very busy morning here. We have made clay handprints (both the girls ), made some baby cupcakes and gone for a long walk. Feeling great too. Im on my 3rd day of excerise and healthy eating. Im loving it too And to top the day off... Both my babies are sound asleep which is a very odd thing these days. Breanna doesnt usually sleep in the day anymore.

Amy, thanks I was a bit worried that some flesh was showing when Rach was taking the pics but it seems not. It was an unplanned pic... those are the best! You’ll be right with your math... you’re a smart one!

Monica, that’s great that your counselling session went well. I hope things continue to be on the improve for you.

SK, I wasn’t coping when Madison turned 2... don’t even talk to me about 3 yet. Your program sounds great too. I’ve been doing my ‘Boot Camp Training’ 3 days a week and I am feeling so much better!

Bee, I hope Breanna feels better soon and her cough doesn’t turn nasty. Great to hear your walking and eating healthy is going well.

Well I’ll be MIA for a few days... heading to Rocky for an Engagement Party on Saturday night. We’re driving up tomorrow after my 6am Boot Camp Session (and after a shower of course ).

Love your Pic Nyree, can;t wait til next month when Rachel is in Sydney!! i think our pics are gonna be awesome!!!

Thans for all the anniversary wishes didnt do anything special, just worked al bloody day, just got home now

Look at all of our yummy mummies! Getting into boot camp and exercise....wow. I'm just so continually thankful for breastfeeding, i've been able to eat whatever i wanted, and i've continued to loose weight. I got so sick during pregnancy that i'm around 10kg lighter than i was before i fell pregnant...so i'm pretty happy with that. I'm just so worried about being complacent with myself and letting it all slip back on!

Busy day for us today. We are heading into town to look at a new house. I'm just so exhausted and sick of moving. I wish that we could buy a house now, but it's just not in the books at the moment. More and more we are realising some stupid financial decisions we made when we were single (and younger!) are paying off now. New budget means we will be debt-free in 3 years....but that's a long time to wait for a house of my own!

Will finally got over his wonder week and has just been adorable- cooing and laughing all the time. He's also started waking up happy- hooray! He was never like that before- while everyone else was saying how much they enjoyed listening to their babies wake up and talk to themselves, Will would always scream the moment he opened his eyes.

He's also getting so ready to crawl! Latest party trick is that he can lift his entire body weight off the floor...but he's using his toes, not his knees. He can scoot backwards a few metres and forwards about 10cm (not so good with forwards!) and is a pro at going around and around in circles. I caught him sucking on a computer cable yesterday- maybe it's time to finally babyproof the house

11 hours last night, ONE wake up (1min of patting, no feeding) and NO trouble going off to sleep, I've probably just jinxed her, LOL. I layed in be for quite some time just listening to her as she was SO quiet, I went and checked probably 3 times and had a really restless night, but I'm glad she slept.

Has just woken from first sleep cycle now, so off I am to pat back to sleep, she isn't due for a feed til 10.15 so I am going to try my hardest to get her back off at least for one more cycle (still haven't had breakfast or got the washing out)

Monica - i honestly believe she is growth spurting. She has sorted her nights out, so days will catch up!! Can Nina please teach Sophie hehe, we actually had a pretty similar night, 6.30-6.30 with 2 wake-ups, 1 for poo bum, other just quick re-settle. I gace her a 1/2 feed at poo bum cause she was so wide awake, just to settle her properly. She didnt last the full 90mins awake this morning, she was so whingey after about an hour, so she went to bed early, hope it doesn't screw our entire day out

Perhaps she is going through a growth spurt but it sure ain't showing on the scales!
She is in there now talking and grunting, I bought Baby Bliss and it says not to go it til she cries.

I dont go in til she cries either. Sometimes (5/10) she will drift back off to sleep.
I've found with Sophs growth spurts she has really didgy gains for a few weeks, then gets a few good gains. This last week, soph only gained 10g.

Well we have been weighing on the same scales at the chemist for 3 weeks in a row now and she is 6.79ish. She was weighed at emergency on Friday night (we weighed at the chemist in the day) and she was 6.9 - the scales at either place are obviously out so I am SO confused. Will be weighing again on the chemist scales today.

There is very little noise now, I think she may have just gone back off

Great that she was able to drift back off!!

Im a big believer of always using the same scales, that way if they are "out" it doesn't matter cause your still seeing the correct gains/loss/stability. I always weigh weekly. For me its peice of mind, and it allows me to get out of the house. I really like my nurse and she is easy going, and Sophie just adores her, she laughs and smiles and talks... hehe

I haven't weighed Will in over a month

Weights don't bother me too much. He's having a good amount of wet/dirty nappies, he's reaching his developmental milestones...

Mon, also keep in mind that most growth charts are designed for formula babies, who are a little heavier at this stage. Nina is still exclusively b/feed, and thereby likely to appear a little 'small' on the chart

Yep, still asleep

Yeah, I know. I really shouldn't keep weighing her ad the nurse at emergency said the other night that you really only see differences from month to month now, not week to week.

I just can't get it out of my head that she is still under 7kg. Basically the ECHN said that she should have doubled her birth weight by 6 months. I really can't see her being 8kg, therefore putting on over a kg in just over a month (unless I was to start solids and I can't do that til we see an allergist). In saying that though, rice is apparently something that is virtually impossible to be allergic to so I could start cereal for a week before we have our appt and introduce stuff after that if it is ok to.

My plan was to do cereal, then stewed fruit and keep just breakfast for a week or so. Then introduce dinner then a week later lunch, then a week later snacks. Does that sound OK? Bare in mind I want to take things really slowly

That sounds fast Monica..hehe

We started straight up on 2 meals a day, but she really didn;t ahve much of either of them straight away. It took her about a week to really 'like' it and then we just had a few off days where she just wasn't interested. yesterday and today has been a bit better, but i've noticed that breakfast she isn't keen on and dinner she chomps down. We do cerealy with fruit forbreaking and vegies for diner. I think she is gonna be a savoury girl like me.. I am contemplating introducing lunch next week against advice of my nurse, and im thinking hat lunch might be yoghurt. Snacks i'll play by ear but more than likely not til summer.

Oh, ok, it's just that the ECHN said they should be having 3 meals by 7 months!
Maybe I got that wrong

LOL, you are being a first-time Mum! It's okay, no harm is done by weighing her, you might relax more knowing her weight, rather than guessing!

Sometimes i feel like i've already have 5 children, i have much younger brothers and also babysat a LOT, i'm skipping past a lot of those first time experiences. Maybe i should worry more, and buy more useless products! Really though, i read about weighing and think 'Oh crap, am i MEANT to weigh him that much?'

In other news, i have a new pram. Mum got given a BeemaQ to use for when Will is at her house, and i swapped it for my crappy pram. Downside being that it only fits in my Getz when the backseat is down. Crap

Just found this. I guess it seems fast because I will only be starting at 6 months where as you have started already iykwim

"How many times a day should my baby be eating solid foods?


By the time your baby is about seven months old, she should be eating semi-solids three times a day. A typical day's intake may be:

• Breast milk or iron-fortified formula. Small amounts of unsweetened juice well diluted with boiled, cooled water (one part juice to ten parts water), can also be given with meals only in a feeding cup or beaker, not a bottle. However juice isn't necessary unless your baby is vegetarian (the vitamin C in juice helps your baby to absorb iron from plant foods).

• Iron-fortified cereal

• Plenty of vegetables, such as potatoes, parsnips, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, spinach and butternut squash

• Small amounts of meats, poultry, fish, yogurt, hard-boiled egg, well-cooked lentils, cheese (except brie, stilton and other mouldy or soft cheeses)"

• Fruit

I've also just read here that in breastfed babies, supplying solids don't actually increase their weight gain. Breastmilk has more fat than most babyfood, and so the key would be to increase your feeds, not the solids.

Not sure what to think about that, but it's 'food' for thought

Why is it all so hard and so many professionals give conflicting advice

I guess your right Monica, in that it seems fast cause we started earlier.

Interesting about the BM Amy. Nina is on 5 feeds if we can fit them in, but for today given no overnight wake, it will only be 4 (we are going out and I just can't increase them). At least my boobs will be full and she'll be getting really good feeds (I ave taken to putting a cloth nappy over her when we feed, even at home as I find she gets less distracted, LOL)

yeah Em, it's hard

Monica, are you still doing a dreamfeed? How often are you b/feeding?

Maybe she's going through a growth spurt and you need to feed 2.5 hourly for a few days, see if it makes a difference? I really don't know.....it's so HARD ! I wish breasts had a little guide- ie. if they are 'this' big, your baby has consumed 200mLs

That would be a sight Amy...LOL

I put Sophie down at 7.50am, she stirred around 9.50am, i gave her the dummy back and i'm about to wake her up now why can't it be like this everyday